Your Turn: Rank the all-time best moments in Astros’ history

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Most of us would agree that Craig Biggio or Jeff Bagwell are the best players to ever wear an Astros’ uniform or that Roy Oswalt is the best pitcher in the team’s 50-year history. (Okay, Steve Campbell may disagree.) But this exercise will be a bit more subjective and should send you to the history books and memory lane from the past half century.

What is your single, most favorite moment in Astros’ history?

Put personalities, drugs, post season failures and off season problems aside for just a moment. What sticks in your memory about the Astros over the years? The World Series was great, moving to Minute Maid was a new experience and that famed 18-inning game was hard to match.

If you’re putting together the highlight reel for the Astros, what makes the list and which moment in time gets your #1 ranking? And, for extra credit, which is the favorite moment which you were “there” for, either in person, on television or on radio?

Astros make the World Series. Yes, Jason Lane made the last routine catch that cemented the Astros’ first appearance in the World Series. While the actual appearance may be drowned out by the eventual 4-0 series loss, Houston hosting a World Series is one of the great all-time Houston sports moments.

The 18-inning game. Mention those words to any Houston sports fan and they’ll have a story about the longest post-season game in history. They were either there, watched it in a bar or can roll out their own highlight reel. Whether it was Chris Burke’s home run, Lance Berkman’s grand slam, Brad Ausmus’ home run or Roger Clemens trotting out to pitch in the 15th, it was a classic sports moment.

Astros sign Roger Clemens. Forget what you know about Clemens now and hearken back to the original signing in 2004. Undoubtedly, it was the biggest splash by Drayton McLane and one that got the attention of the baseball world.

Mike Scott’s No-Hitter.This one is hard to beat, as archived over at Astros Daily. It’s certainly the top no-hitter in organization history and Scott pitched it on September 25, 1986 to clinch the NL West, 2-0, over San Francisco. The no-hitter followed two other gems, a two-hitter by Jim Deshaies and a one-hitter by Nolan Ryan.

The six-man no-hitter. Roy Oswalt left the game early with an injury, but five other relievers picked him up and completed an unprecedented six-pitcher no-hitter versus the Yankees on June 11, 2003. Pete Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel and Billy Wagner followed Oswalt to piece together the 8-0 win.

There are many other moments in Astros’ history: Willy Taveras’ 30-game hit streak in 2006 or Jeff Kent’s memorable home run in Game 5 of the 2004 NLCS. There’s also Randy Johnson’s 10-1 run in 1998 or Carlos Beltran’s playoff tear in 2004.

Chip’s pick: All those are great, but can any moment in Astros’ time top Mike Scott’s 1986 no-hitter to clinch the division for Houston? Does it get any better than this? Thanks to Astros Daily for the link. I was actually “there”, listening on radio as Gene Elston made the call.